Medical Screening and Psychological Support Should Be Part of Ghana's Reintegration Protocol for Returnees From South Africa

The recent evacuation of Ghanaian nationals from South Africa, following renewed xenophobic attacks against foreign nationals, has rightly drawn public attention and government action. But as hundreds of returnees arrive home, a critical question remains: is Ghana’s reintegration framework adequate for citizens who have endured social disruption, violence, and trauma?

CELPI Africa, a policy advocacy organisation, argues that it is not — and their position deserves serious consideration. The organisation’s call for comprehensive medical screening and psychosocial support to be incorporated into the reintegration process is not rooted in stigmatisation of returnees. Rather, it reflects a pragmatic understanding that citizens returning from crisis situations deserve holistic support, and that public health interests are best served through proactive, voluntary assessment.

The health argument is straightforward. South Africa carries one of the world’s largest HIV burdens, with approximately eight million people living with the virus as of 2024 and a national prevalence of about 12.7 per cent. Provinces such as Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal — where many Ghanaian migrants lived and worked — are among the most affected. Offering voluntary, confidential screening for HIV and other communicable diseases as part of a broader health assessment is not discrimination; it is responsible public health practice.

Indeed, CELPI Africa rightly argues that such screening should not target returnees from South Africa alone. It should become standard practice for citizens returning from humanitarian emergencies, conflict zones, and epidemic-affected areas. Early detection benefits both the individual, through timely access to treatment, and the wider community through reduced transmission risk. This is not a new challenge for Ghana — the underlying dynamics of South Africa’s anti-foreigner sentiment have been driving Ghanaian migration patterns for years.

But the psychological dimension is equally urgent. Research on migrants exposed to xenophobic attacks in South Africa has documented experiences of fear, trauma, exclusion, anxiety, and acute stress reactions. Victims often live with persistent fears that violence could recur and may struggle with social reintegration after returning home. Structured mental health interventions and counselling are not luxuries in such circumstances — they are necessities.

Ghana’s Mental Health Authority has already pledged support for returnees, a welcome step. But a pledge is not a protocol. What is needed is a formalised, inter-agency reintegration framework that brings together the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Health, the Ghana Health Service, the Ghana AIDS Commission, and other relevant bodies to deliver coordinated medical screening, health education, psychological assessment, trauma counselling, and referral services.

The citizens returning from South Africa are victims of circumstances beyond their control. They deserve compassion, dignity, and systematic support — not merely a flight home and a handshake at the airport. At the same time, the government has a responsibility to ensure that reintegration safeguards both the well-being of returnees and the public health interests of the nation.

A balanced approach that combines humanitarian assistance with medical assessment and psychosocial care represents the most responsible path forward. Ghana has the institutional capacity to deliver such a framework. What it needs now is the political will to implement it.

Image Source: MYJOYONLINE